


If things were different. [IcarusAU Draft]

by Gavala



Category: Persona 5, Shin Megami Tensei Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Person, Fix-It, M/M, Might change that, POV switches are not common but do happen, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Trigger Warning: Anxiety/Panic attacks, akira is a top, idk yet, im bullshitting most of the plot points, mostly Akechi POV, stuff like that, to third person, you can fight me on that one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-11 18:36:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15978083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavala/pseuds/Gavala
Summary: Akechi Goro wants nothing more than to see his plans come to fruition. He won't let anything- or anyone stop him.When the man whom he has despised since the beginning orders him to take down the 'Phantom Thieves' in late May, all he wants is to finish the job and exact his revenge. He doesn't care how it's done, so long as it pushes him towards his goal.That is- until he actually meets the Phantom Thieves.Then it becomes a little more complicated than he initially planned./////This is also known as the IcarusAU on Tumblr (The AU I started.) This is a draft and therefore VERY not good. You'll have to excuse the unskillful writing, as my skills usually pertain to visual arts and not literary stuff like this.The tumblr tag, should you wish to check out the art!WARNING: THIS IS FIC WAS WRITTEN PURELY TO ENTERTAIN ME- SO THE WRITING IS NOT AMAZING. IT'S NOT A VERY WELL-THOUGHT-OUT FIC TBH. READ WITH DISCRETION





	1. Advent of the 2nd Prince Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro Akechi is tasked with finding the Phantom Thieves of hearts in a highschool called Shujin Academy.  
> He'll be damned if this puts a damper on his original plans, or course.
> 
> Then again, Shujin Academy is where a certain peculiar boy who makes coffee goes. He might be useful.

He sat behind his desk with an terrible look- fingers tapping on his desk.”Do you know why I’ve called you in today?” He said in a low utter.

“No sir, enlighten me.” I held my voice back from a sarcastic tone, crossing my arms. “It was only last week you had me looking into those thieves.”

He held up his hand to shut me up, and sighed.“The Phantom Thieves. You must take them out. I fear they’ll become a hindrance to the plans if they continue their ‘rebellion.’ in the metaverse. We cannot allow anyone else to use this power you possess.” 

I sighed, sinking into the seat that pricked at my back. “While yes, sir, I do agree. What am I to do about it? Their identities are completely anonymous, even in the Metaverse. I already looked into it when I searched Madarame’s-.” He cuts me off again.

Masayoshi Shido, who sat behind the large glossy desk adorned with a scowl, opened a drawer and pulled a light manilla file to the surface. He slid it to my side and tapped it impatiently. “My people gather that these ‘Thieves’ operate at Shujin Academy. We assume they’re students.” He gestured for me to open the file myself, mustering a smirk. “You’re a high school prince detective, are you not?” 

I cautiously opened the folder, trying to hold my face from a grimace. Inside, there were at least 6 packets of documents, almost a reams worth. I immediately noticed the Shujin Academy crest that was printed at the top of the papers, and the words  ‘Transfer Request Forums’ at the top.

“You want me to transfer to Shujin Academy?” I pushed through my teeth. ‘ _ Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of absolute  _ **_connerie_ ** _ was Masayoshi pulling?’  _ I was clearly upset, but I kept my composure. “I assume you want me to find the Phantoms and take them from the inside out?” I tried to ponder the idea, myself, holed up in some shitty high school with a bunch of bumbling idiots. Trying to find some damn  _ kids. _ The idea wasn’t riveting.

“Not just that. Don’t just ‘take down’ their organisation; do to them what you do to all the targets I’ve given you. Make sure they’ll never be a problem again.” He pushed the folder further into my hands, and I froze for almost a millisecond, gulping down and looking away. Entering the hearts and minds of adults to do Shido’s bidding was one thing, anything to gain his trust, to be permitted to his plans.. But teenagers? If it was only to disband the Thieves, figure out their methods, to end their plans. That would be more than alright. Though, to have him say it so blatantly. To have to put those kids into the ground?

I swallowed my thoughts and returned my gaze to Shido, suddenly reassuring myself.  _ Of course, I’ll do it. _ I thought then, burying any doubts I had previously had.  _ This is all for my plans. Anything and everything must be done.  _ If I were ever to ascertain my revenge, I would have to do it with no remorse. Even if it meant I had to lower myself to the shitty halls of Shujin Academy. Even if I had to make a bunch of kids have psychotic breakdowns. Anything and everything.

His eyes pierced at me from behind his glasses as I kept the silence, letting out a murmur before consulting the assistant that stood behind him. “We’ve already contacted your school, and Shujin and all the forms have been filled out. All we need now are your signatures, then your search can go underway.” He reached out with a pen in his hand. I paused for a moment again, to which he grit his teeth. “-that is, unless you can’t?”

I took the pen at those words, giving a fake, charismatic laugh. “Of course I can do it, I’m Akechi Goro after all!”  He rolled his eyes, waving me off. I signed all of the forums quickly, handing over the folder to his aforementioned assistant. 

“Make this worth both of our times, or I could destroy that petty little career you've built up in seconds. Don’t find out how it feels to be on the other side of the battle.”

 

I swallowed the lump in my throat, but it struck again at the hatred I felt. With everything I had, I hated this man. The one who ruined my life. The one who killed her... Who killed  _ me.  _ The one who evidently killed Goro Akechi, and I was going to burn his entire empire, his career, and his life to the ground. Even if he threatened me, I knew that he was only bluffing. He needed me, I was his strongest asset. 

He wouldn’t dare to truly get rid of me- that is to say.

“Your transfer will be in effect next week, so you have from now to Monday to sort out any public problems or anything of the sort. You won’t need to attend school this week seeing as you don’t attend there anymore; and you will be required to take leave from detective work to make time for school, as they expect you to be in attendance at all times- under the circumstances.” I cursed under my breath at all of this- but it was already done. The faster I could find them the better.

“If that’s all you wanted to discuss with me, then may I be permitted to leave?” I forced another smile, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Shido, who still held a scowl on his face, only grunted in reply. The assistant waved me off, and I exited the room silently, finding myself in the nearest exit from the towering building. 

Today was Tuesday, which meant I had a total of 5 and a half days to sort everything out. The public eye was by far the scariest of the problems. Money was covered, and taking a break from detective work would be easy enough, seeing as I was a highschooler to begin with. 

I weighed my options as I mindlessly walked down the streets. Kamoshida… Maderame.. It was only the beginning of June, close to summer… I did have that TV Station interview. That would probably be the easiest way to break the news of my ‘break.’

I shook my head, annoyed.  _ Why the hell does it have to be me? I have better shit to do, I shouldn’t be the one running around chasing a bunch of kids!  _ I eventually found myself at the train station, still bickering within my own thoughts. Schools were probably letting out soon, which mean the trains would be extra crowded. How troublesome…

With my stress whittling away, I decided to take a detour. If I had the whole week off, I might as well spend time in places where I could at least calm down for a bit.

 

_ Leblanc was a small, out of the way coffee shop in the middle of sub/urban Yongen-Jaya. Hardly anyone visited, save for the occasional old couple, or quiet regular. It was a safe haven in any situation, not to mention the coffee which was irreplaceable, and made so carefully.  _

 

In the past months, however, something had happened to Leblanc. It was usually run by a brash, hardened man named Sojiro Sakura. He outright refused any extra workers- making each cup himself to match the profile of every person he met. He was perceptive if anything. Recently, however, he had someone who occasionally came down to prepare cups.

At first, he was an aloof, quiet guy. I noted that he was around my age, and always had a slight frown. The cups he prepared never went out to customers, apparently he was still new to the craft. 

After a few days of silent observation, I had approached the counter. Sojiro-San only scoffed when I asked about the young man at the other end of the bar. 

“That guy? You wouldn’t want anything this kid makes. He’s just a part-timer anyways.” He gave a light chuckle, but it piqued my interest. 

“Why is that?” I asked him.

“He’s still learning is all, he’s got a very... Interesting profile composition. Tastes terrible, to be honest.”

I ended up sliding to the other side of the counter that day, the guy was far too spaced out to notice. I tapped the bar lightly and he looked up, slightly surprised.

“Y-Yes?” He asked, his grey eyes showed evident surprise, hair being blown out of his face as he looked over to me. He seemed a bit frazzled, his voice was a bit quiet.

“I’d like a cup of Blue Mountain if you wouldn’t mind.” I pointed to the jar behind him and he turned to Sojiro. “-made by you, I mean. Not Sakura-San.”

He was a bit wary at my request, maybe he knew me from T.V? Nonetheless, after getting the okay from Sakura, he began to work. I watched him make the coffee, and it wasn’t a spectacular performance per se- he slipped up more than a few times, but he ended up presenting a decent looking cup in the end.

 

I found out a little bit later that his name was Akira Kurusu. I met him in early late March, which was apparently only a few weeks after he moved to Yongen-Jaya, saying he moved here from a rural area for school. He was a bit bashful, spacey, and looked tired 9 times out of 10, but he soon became one of the many things about Leblanc that I ‘liked’.

I didn’t like most people, which is a bit of an understatement. I won’t say Kurusu-san is an exception, seeing as he was almost just as predictable as any other idiot on the planet, but he could make a killer coffee. Not only that, but after we became acquainted, his demeanour was quite refreshing compared to that of my classmates, fans, or coworkers.

Sojiro seemed a little surprised when I started requesting Kurusu-san’s coffee more, and hardly ever chose to drink his.

 

As I exited the station, I found myself in the familiar setting. Narrow, almost empty streets that made me feel alone without feeling unnerved. The leaves swept across the concrete, chimes rang in the background. I could almost forget the shit-storm of bullcrap that Shido was forcing me through for his plans.  _ Almost. _

I eventually approached the door to the small building, the hazed glass reflecting my tried expression. I really did need to take a break here, by the looks of it. As the rickety handle creaked under my gloved hand, a bell rang, and Sojiro looked up from his paper.

I silently hoped Kurusu would pop out from the back kitchen and offer to make a cup of Breve, or something with lait in it, but the store stayed quiet.

“Welcome Akechi-san, what can I get for you?” He smirked, noticing my blatant expression. “The kid’s off with his friends for a bit, he should be back soon.”

“I see. Curry, for now then.” I then said. “Put it on my tab, if you would, Sojiro-San?” I offered him a smile as he nodded and got off the stool, heading back into the kitchen. As I waited, I slid into the booth, where I felt closed off from the world. The TV buzzed in the background, but it felt silent. What utter bliss, compared to the torrential thoughts of problems, and school, and Shido, and anything else that might be happened. What utter bliss indeed.

Sojiro brought the curry out for me in a matter of minutes, the aroma brought me to a better mind. “Thank you, Sojiro-San.” I smiled again. “This is a well-deserved break.” I leaned back just a little and let out a sigh.

He nodded off and retreated back behind the counter. He soon fell silent, half lost in his own thought. 

I picked at the curry for a few, and the aroma swayed me. I wanted to just stay here, away from everything. Away from all of it. I stared at my gloves, the thread pulled a bit when I clasped my hand, I could feel the fabric shifting. It all felt so surreal; to be sitting alone in an almost empty cafe with a steaming aroma slowly warming my face. To be taking orders from a man who was responsible for everything that went wrong in my life- to come up with some elaborate plan to eventually take revenge once every major threat was dealt with. 

In Midst of my thoughts- the door chimed again, and my head slowly turned in anticipation. A fashionable blonde girl entered, her eyes were blue like sapphires as she scanned around, being pushed in slightly by another blond, a boy with scrappy hair and no sense of style.

I frowned,  _ no coffee it seems. _ I took a bite of curry before sighing, trying to avoid eye contact with the teens as they shuffled in.  _ How annoying _ .

 

“It’s definitely not what I was expecting, Akira-Kun!” The girl said loudly, making my ears perk up again.  _ These must be the friends Sakura-San mentioned _ . She turned around, facing the Blonde boy and eventually 2 more guys. One was Akira, of course, and the other was a boy whom I knew to be Yusuke Kitagawa. I could only recognise his face from the police reports over Maderame that had only just recently been shared with the department- but he had a very memorable stare.

 

“Can’t believe you’re livin’ in an attic in the back end of Yongen though.” The Blonde guy said, his voice was a bit annoying to me, and I curled up a bit when it pierced through the once-almost-silent cafe.

 

“It’s quaint, very rustic.” Kitagawa mumbled. “I think it’s admirable.”

 

“Come on guys- can we not loiter around down here? We have customers y’know.” Akira finally piped up in his usual spacey monotone voice. “Speaking of which.” I froze as I felt a pair of eyes land on me, and I pretended not to listen. “You guys go on up, I need to take care of some stuff down here. Make yourselves at home alright?” He pushed them towards the stairs, their steps were all loud and pounding in my head as I tried to ignore them. I could feel myself strain with slight anxiety.

 

“Didn’t cause any trouble, yeah?” Sakura-San said to Akira once the teens weren’t in earshot. “Glad you found friends but don’t go associating with bad people. You know how it is.” His stern voice made Akira sigh.

“‘Course not, Boss. Anything interesting happen while I was away?” He half mumbled.

I saw Sakura-San point a finger at me from the corner of my eye and tried to muster a smile. “Well, that guy wants a coffee. You know the deal.”  _ Once I had the coffee, I could finish up and leave. Find something else to do, anything really. Before my anxiety gets any worse. _

“Akechi-San!” Akira turned on his heel and approached the booth I was sat in. His peculiar demeanour couldn’t hide that he was happy to see me, it was obvious. Of course- who wouldn’t be happy to see me?  _ Rather than myself, of course. _ “What can I get for you today?” He then said, half-smiling as he reached for an apron that hung over the counter.

“Blue Mountain. The usual prep.” I said softly, I didn’t have the energy nor the capacity to speak above a whisper at the moment, especially after the noise that his friends brought in. The peaceful calm that I had moments before was very quickly replaced with a loud cacophony, the wild voices that rang from upstairs about the dumbest teenager things made it difficult to think again- just like at the office or in class.

 

Akira nodded and did his work quickly. He always did do it a bit fast- but it produced what I wanted. The whole time he did, I could hear the teens upstairs thumping and romping around, presumably having fun- doing friend things that I had no clue about. I stared at my gloves again then to my curry.  _ What am I doing here? _ I thought to himself.  _ Why did it have to be this way? _

  
  


**_‘Goro… Remember why you do this.’_ **

A voice rang in my head. I closed my eyes, the voice growing louder. I could hear it’s low hum, it’s growl.  _ Loki. _ A monster within my own mind.

**_‘Do you fail to remember our suffering? Our pain.’_ **

My head threw into a migraine as its presence grew. It had been a while since the last time I was in the world… The world where people’s hearts were worn on their skin- their lives splayed out in words and shadows. Monsters grow from their distortion- and only those strong enough to control it have power. The world is known as the Metaverse.

 

My eyes rolled for a moment- my headache pulsating into my skull. The hatred in my mind was a power- one that only I had. I took a deep breath.

 

“Akechi-San? Are you alright?.” Akira pulled me from my momentary lapse, one hand holding a cup of coffee, the other gently brushed against my shoulder to stir me. “You’re pale-- and cold. Are you ill?” He set the coffee down.

The low hymn of my inner demons quieted as I looked up in an almost daze, for a second- I was confused. Then I realised my situation and threw a smile into the air- laughing. “I’m quite alright, Kurusu-San! I’m just very tired. The Phantom Thieves’ case has been growing larger by the day, that’s all.” I grabbed the coffee, which was that perfect blend I wished for and took a sip. 

He seemed to buy it- or at least believe enough to stand up, and begin untying his apron. “Did you need anything else? I’ll be up in the attic once I’m done down here.” He adjusted his glasses. I shook my head politely and forced another smile, and he nodded off.

“I’m fine, Kurusu-San, thank you. The coffee is delightful, as always.” I said. I noticed as I said that that he was wearing a Shujin summer uniform. While I couldn’t think too deeply into it at the moment, I noted he might be of use at some point in my investigation. “I’ll see you soon, have a nice day.” I kept my goodbyes brief as we parted.

 

I wasn’t in the greatest of states, as it stood. Shido’s orders, my career, forcing me into a high school full-time… The blood that ran in my skull as the monster from the other world prodded at me- reminding me of things I’d rather not think about. The pain- the humility.

My cup was empty soon after- and I hurried out the door with a short goodbye to Sakura-San. I felt sickly- upset even. Kurusu was probably right about my paleness, I couldn’t imagine what the press would say if I was like this- I couldn’t even hold a conversation in my status. The coffee could only do so much for me before the monster allowed my inquietude to continue.

 

I returned to my apartment as soon as I could. I had a TV interview on Thursday with the press. I’d have then to prepare for the worst to come. The public meant a lot when building such a unique brand- and it would take careful words to keep them in my favour. Being a ‘Prince-Detective’ who helped the police with popular investigations like the Phantoms or the mental shutdowns wasn’t the easiest to upkeep, and it would remain difficult. Even after my announcement of stepping down from being a detective, they’d still recognise me at school. With Shido breathing down my back as well, and the looming presence of Loki…

 

_ Breathe.  _ I whispered under my breath.  _ Deep breaths. Keep composure. _

**_Or cry. After all, you’re only a child. Some dumb little thing that no one wanted to keep._ **

_ Once I find the thieves… It’ll all be regular again. _

**_You’ll let their blood spill; you terrible heathen._ **

_ Then I can return to my normal schedule. _

 

At this point, I staggered through my genkan, throwing my briefcase to the couch and undoing my coat buttons. I could barely breathe. I felt myself start to fold under a migraine as Loki continued to speak, it’s tone was deep, gravelly. It made my blood rush to my head- dizziness overtaking me. I leaned onto a wall, trying to regain my balance.

 

**_Revenge is a bloody path, child. You must walk it alone. You always have._ **

_ And then I can finally gain his trust. _

**_Only to make your betrayal that much sweeter. That disgusting man._ **

_ To avenge them all.  _

**_To finally rid yourself of this anguish. This suffering. Your nightmares and pain._ **

**_To become the strongest; so you can kill him._ **

**_Kill him._ **

**_Kill him._ **

 

My eyes were clouded with pain as my head swam in loud screams; tears streaming down my face. I stumbled back in my own living room, skin slightly damp and my shirt sticking to my back. I felt myself slide down onto the floor, no senses were working- just the burning sensation that ran up my back- making me cry even more.  _ Calm down! You’re in control! You aren’t that child anymore. _ I tried forcing myself back into a state- but my body shook against the wall- my head becoming lightheaded as my neck cracked- killing any other senses that were left. The only thing I could really feel was Loki’s painful searing hums in my conscious mind.

I was like that for hours, it seemed. 

 

I ended up passing out from exhaustion. Whether it was from Shido or Loki- Shujin or just perhaps being  _ alive… _ I woke up with terrible bags under my eyes and a weight on my heart- or where it should be. It was Tuesday night when I came to from my attack, The night sky shined through the large windows in my apartment. I got up weakly from my pool of dried tears and sweat- moving to the bed to pass out again. The only good thing today was Kurusu’s coffee. Everything else was burning to hell, including myself.

 

\---

 

Wednesday came, and I was exhausted, but I felt slightly better than the night before. Loki went silent, but I could feel his presence in my head- still pounding in my subconscious. He was like that if I didn’t visit the metaverse often. He would grow restless, making my whole system seemingly collapse for hours upon hours. The stress made it difficult to function.

I was asleep until midday- I had a meeting with the TV producers in the afternoon about the interview I was going to air in. I left the apartment with a little time to spare the short distance was covered with my bike, and began to make my way through the halls of the AV wing. I didn’t like going to these things- making sure every word I spoke aligned. Every little lie was perfected managed… Every gaze was accurate and practised. It was a chore. Not to mention it was all on television too- recorded for anyone to see.

 

While walking down the halls, I noticed a number of students. They were on a field trip, by the sound of it. The uniforms were very recognisable, the black and red checkered pants confirmed my suspicion even more… Shujin Academy was here. Before I could reach my conference room, I heard an especially loud conversation taking place in a secluded hallway.

When I peered the corner briefly, I was even more surprised to see that it was Kurusu and his band of exceptionally loud friends, minus Kitagawa, of course. What a coincidence. I paused behind the corner, listening in for a little bit. When I said we’d meet again soon, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind…

“-s such bullshit! We ain’t even learnin’ anything here! Those damn adults just want us to do all their work for them! I moved  _ at least _ 5 damn cameras in the past effing hour!” A brash voice interjected into the relatively quiet area.

“Quiet down, will you Ryuji?! We’re in a recording building!” Another voice said harshly. It belonged to a female. “It’s only a two-day trip anyways. We’ll be back to normal school before you know it.”

Akira adjusted his glasses. “She’s right. It’s not too bad. You’re just angry because you got stuck with grunt work while all the other guys were trying to get Ann to pose for them.” He laughed.  _ ‘I’ve never heard him laugh before, or smile like that. Maybe he isn’t as spacey as I thought?’  _

“You didn’t hafta do anything either! You were just standing around looking cool n’ shit!” The boy who I assumed to be named Ryuji said again.

“Enough with the bickering you guys! I’m getting a headache!” Another far less familiar voice chimed in. I had never heard it before- and last time I checked, there were only 3 people in the hall. “The day’s almost over with anyways.” It said firmly. “Why don’t we just get it over with, and go to that pancake-looking place after this?” 

They exchanged more conversation on a number of places to go after their day was over with, and I began to think.  _ ‘Should I introduce myself? Having some ‘friends’ would make the transition to Shujin easier. They might know something about the thieves too.’ _ I delegated on the matter- then a short pause in the conversation arose. I bit the bullet and turned the corner, acting slightly surprised by their presence. 

 

“I could’ve sworn I heard a few voices… But to think I’d run into you so soon, Kurusu-San!” I laughed- the others turned towards, me sizing me up. As I suspected, there were only 3 other people in the hall, excluding myself.

“Akechi-San!” He said, surprised at my appearance. He shoved his hands in his pocket and blew the hair out of his face. “You must be the surprise guest for tomorrows show if you’re here.” I approached a little more, the others remained on guard- but when Kurusu addressed me, they relaxed a bit.

“As perceptive as always,” I said jokingly. “You might as well take my job now!” He chuckled, kicking his foot back a bit to readjust his shoe.

“You know this guy?” The brash blonde kid interjected, pointing at me. Ryuji is what they called him. He looked over to Kurusu.

“It’s Goro Akechi, the second prince detective.” He said, making it sound as cool as he could. “He drops by Leblanc for tea and curry when he isn’t running around solving mysteries.” I felt a bit embarrassed as he talked about me as if he knew anything when our conversations consisted mostly of weather and coffee. He turned to face me again. “This is Ann Takamaki and Ryuji Sakamoto. They’re classmates of mine, I’m sure you’ve seen them before, they started coming to Leblanc too?” He introduced them.

I gave them a respectful nod, looking at my watch. I’d be late if I kept talking to them.  
“My apologies, but my meeting is going to start soon. It was a pleasure to meet you, Takamaki-San, Sakamoto-San.” I adjusted my tie. “I hope you enjoy your afternoon. I think someone mentioned pancakes? Enjoy your pancakes.” I turned to walk away.

“Pancakes? We ain’t gettin’ pancakes… Wait, are we?” He turned to Ann who shook her head. 

I turned my head to face them as a walked back out into the main hallway. “My apologies, I could’ve sworn someone mentioned pancakes. I must’ve been mistaken.” I bowed towards them and hurried off.  _ ‘Who mentioned pancakes then, if it wasn’t them?’ _ I wondered.

As I made my way to the conference room, I could hear Sakamoto’s voice travel down the halls. “What a weird guy. Not only is he strange- but he’ll never be popular with  _ that _ haircut.” I frowned a bit- before Kurusu interjected.

“He’s not a bad guy at all, he’s just overworked and a lot of times underappreciated by his coworkers. I’m sure he’s tired too- so cut him some slack!” I gave just the faintest smile when I heard him defend me- then I proceeded to my meeting.

 

**_I had work to do, and the phantom thieves were going down. All I needed to do now was deal with the public, then make it to the school._ **


	2. In the eyes of the beholder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi's fate draws closer with every breath he takes. Now he has to deal with the public.   
> Not only that- but he has a certain trio of high schoolers in the crowd that might just be useful to him.
> 
> He just hoped that his plans wouldn't be destroyed by this terrible request Shido has made.

The meeting went as smoothly as I could possibly make it go- we ran through what would happen during the run time- what I’d be doing. Where I’d enter from. The little things that make the whole thing look professional.

When we parted- a part of me hoped I’d see Kurusu on the way out. Just to see what he was doing with his friends for whatever reason. With every time we met, he seemed more interesting than before, which was unfortunate for me. However, I didn’t see him, and returned to my apartment with a bit of a drag in my step.

The sun dipped behind the tall buildings of the city when I arrived at my apartment in the evening. The fourth voice that was in that conversation still bothered me slightly as I finally was able to slide down and relax on my couch. As I sat there, I looked around. ‘ _ Should I move to an apartment near Shujin? Rent out a dorm or something? It’s rather far… and the train is rather troublesome.’ _ Then I shook my head.  _ ‘What a waste of fucking time. It’ll be over with within the first few weeks, at most.’ _ Everytime my mind wandered to school, I could feel a nervous, panicked feeling bubble up in my chest. It was troublesome.

I took a shower than evening then headed off to bed. I needed to be physically well-rested to put on a good performance for the station, even if I was emotionally drained from Loki’s constant scathing aura.

That morning, I got out of bed with heavy joints, my eyes refusing to open. Another night without dreams- just an eternal darkness. When I finally came to- I stretched a light button up shirt on and some black dress pants, slipping on my brown peacoat before leaving. I arrived on set before the highschool students did- and the bright scenery of the stage was still being calibrated for the day. 

 

One of the stage assistants offered a seat, telling me to go ahead and get comfortable since shooting wouldn’t start for another hour or so.

 

The bright lights and flashy spectacles that surrounded me were a bit much, but I found the time to check my notes. I had written a few ideas down on how to handle the breaking of news.

Before I could do anything else however, one of the crew members asked me to go backstage for a touch up while they filed the students into the crowd section of the area. They feared the students might freak out if I was on set when they arrived, which was understandable- if only a bit cumbersome.

Before I knew it, they began to show- two announcers were onstage, introducing their section of the broadcast to the students.

“Akechi-San’s coming on in three- two-” I walked onto the stage as directed, the announcers pausing to allow me to sit down an get comfortable. As I walked across the stage, I could hear the crowd section’s clamouring getting louder by the second. 

_ “He’s so dreamy!” “I know right?!” “OMG!! It’s Goro Akechi…. He’s so cool!”  _ I could pick out a number of girls fawning over me- which boosted my ego just a bit; if not weirding me out in the slightest.

“Ain’t that the uhh- Detective Prince or whatever?” I could hear Sakamoto ask.

“His name is Akechi-San, but yes. It is.” Kurusu responded.

 

“Cutting from commercial in ten, nine, eight… Five- Four- Three.” The ‘live’ sign lit up, and the announcers looked straight into the camera.

 

“And now, welcome everyone to the ‘Hottest meet and greet’ segment of our show!” The young lady-announcer said in a charismatic voice. “After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It’s the highschool detective, Goro Akechi!”

A soft applause filled the room, and I looked towards the camera with my best face, smiling. “Hello there!” I said with fake enthusiasm.

The other announcer, a man much older than the female one, nodded. “Thank you for taking the time to join us today, your popularity is stunning!” He pushed out such an exasperated tone- you could tell he was faking it.  _ ‘Whatever, old man. You’re just here to get payed.’ _ I thought still smiling.  _ ‘I won’t be popular for long if I can’t execute this plan correctly.’ _

 

“Even I found it to be a surprising. It is a bit embarrassing though.” I held my smile, maintaining eye contact with the camera as they instructed me to do.

The female announcer quickly proceeded the conversation; her voice becoming more annoying by the second. “Moving along.” She said hastily. “We’ve been told there's a case on you mind- care to share with us all?” She leaned forward a bit.

I tried my best to make sure my annoyance wasn’t showing, and I took a deep breath, exhaling through grit teeth. I held the silence for dramatic pause.

“Well yes, I suppose.” I said, they told me to tease the audience a bit- so I paused, pretending to think about it. “There  _ is _ the mystery behind Master Artist Madarame’s calling card- or perhaps the Phantom Thieves themselves.”

The man seemed pleased with my answer leaning forward as well. “There it is! All of the Phantom Thief excitement has caught your attention too, Akechi-Kun!”  _ ‘No shit, it was quite literally my job.’ _ I thought. He was far too rapid with his words. The pacing was terribly off because of that idiot. “Allow me to be blunt for a second. What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?”

 

I sighed. “If they truly seek to be heros of justice, I sincerely hope they exist.”  _ So I can crush their petty dreams into shards. _ I watched the crowd as I spoke, mixed feelings would arise from this topic- but before I could ask to switch topics, the man butted in again.

“Ah. So you don’t deny the possibility that they’re real?” He said.  
  
Not wanting to stir the crowd more with mixed opinions, I tried to divert the conversation. “I may not seem like the type- but I sometimes wish a number of myths and legends were real. Like Santa Claus- though if he did exist… I’d have to arrest him for breaking and entering.” The girls in the crowd giggled at my shitty joke, I shared a soft smile before returning the conversation- internally groaning at myself for such terrible taste in show-humor. “Hypothetically speaking, if they did exist… I’d want to learn their methods of extracting such honest confessions from their targets with ease. Figuring out if they’re breaking the law- or some other form of rule.” I paused for another dramatic hit. “If the Thieves existed- I’d want them to be tried in the court of law- simply for their process!”

The room fell into a slightly restless state as I said that- but it was quickly managed by the staff and the teachers. Before we continued however, I realised that there was potentially a Phantom Thief in the room right now. I wasn’t making it any easier for myself in the future. I fell silent, not wanting to drive the thieves away purely from fear.

“That’s quite a statement. Are they committing any crimes?” The host asked; now holding a far more serious tone. “Some people even say that the thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their toxic ways- and thusly helping anyone who was affected by them.”

“It’s true, I’ll admit. If they are real, they affect positive changes in a number of facets of their targets- and subsequently the victims or their targets. What Madarame did was terrible, however they’re taking justice into their own hands- without any guidelines or roles guide them. They could, in theory, do whatever they wanted.” I adjusted my tie. “I believe that that is not ‘True Justice’, no?” I turned to the hosts.

“I suppose, yes. That is true.” The man said blankly.

“More importantly,” I said, noticing the rise in interest from the audience. “they’re forcefully changing these people’s hearts- one way or another. I feel that is something you should never do.”

The man gestured with his hand, pointing around for theatrical effect. “You have a point. This group does call themselves the phantom  **thieves** after all.” By the sound of it- I had probably swayed his opinion a bit. I could see it in his eyes. Perhaps the crowd and all the people watching from home had a similar change too. 

“Amazing as always, Akechi-Kun! I could listen to you for days. You have the most radiant charisma!”

It took everything in my power to not roll my eyes as he filled the air with empty, dumb suck-up compliments. Everything he said was  _ faux _ anyways. I pushed out a fake laugh. “It would really be a shame though, if these Phantom Thieves turned out to be fake. They’re quite the enigma, after all!”

The female host, who had previously gone silent- interjected again to continue the segment. Her loud and annoying little voice made me shut my mouth quickly. “Now then, let’s try asking some students in the audience the same age as Akechi about the thieves…” All the Shujin kids found there was a button located under their seats. They were asked to press it if they believed the thieves existed. I watched Kurusu and his friends intently as the cameras panned away from me to the crowd.

 

“About 30% or so? What are your thoughts, Akechi-Kun?” The male host asked.

Truthfully, I was surprised at how many idiot teenagers bought into the ‘Phantom Thief’ connerie wholeheartedly, but it seemed they were still a bit skeptical. “I’m a bit surprised!” I said, adding a flair to my voice as I spoke. “It’s a lot higher than what I initially expected.” I scanned the crowd again- flustered girls, bored guys, then I locked eyes with Kurusu. He didn’t look bored- however his face was still, like a statue, as he watched. I wasn’t paying attention to the hosts as we continued our staring contest.

 

“-kechi-Kun?” I hear the female host ask. I looked away, blinking, and laughed to cover up my mistake. “Are you alright?”

I shot another glance back at Kurusu who had a small smirk. I frowned, sighing, before a little light went off. “I’d love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Thieves from someone in the audience.” The female host nodded- standing up with her microphone to make her way to the crowd. I made a small gesture towards Kurusu, hoping she’d waltz her annoying ass over to him. 

She seemed to understand, walking over to Kurusu swiftly. The camera’s moved a bit to center in on the male host as the female stopped. “Let’s try asking this young fellow right here-” She shoved the microphone into his face. “Hypothetically speaking- What are your opinions on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?”

 

Kurusu locked eyes with me again, his stupid smirk not failing as he leaned further into the microphone to answer. We seemed to be having a conversation with our glances as he spoke. “I think that they’re necessary.” He said plainly, his dumb voice was blank as he took a moment to think. “If they are in fact real- they’re doing more than the police did with their targets. They’re justice that strikes when the police can’t even begin to affect change. They’re nontraditional, I suppose, but I think that makes them all the more efficient. All of this is of course, hypothetical.” His eyes seemed to scream a brash and arrogant feeling- the sort of look you’d give when you’ve done something. He was absolutely ridiculous.

“You say that with such pride, do you believe they’re real?” The host then asked.

“Indeed, or I’d like them to, at least.” He then said.

 

The host returned to the front, gazing at me. “Well Akechi-Kun, this goes against everything you previously stated about the Thieves!” 

I nodded. “Very much so. It’s rather intriguing to hear such an opposite opinion. I like to acknowledge the other end of the spectrum as well.” I gave him a curt nod, as if I didn’t know him at all. I was having a bit of fun messing with him, unfortunately. “In ny case, I’d like to ask you one more thing- student from the audience.” He looked slightly surprised as I addressed him. I pointed then to Sakamoto-San, who was next to him. “If someone close to you, for example, your friend sitting next to you- suddenly had a change of heart… Would you suspect the Thieves?”

 

Kurusu shook his head, the crew member handing him an extra microphone, since the host had already walked back up to the stage. “What do you think? All people change, with or without the thieves. Plus- I’m sure the Thieves only target those worthy of a change of heart like Madarame or Kamoshida. My friend here isn’t charged with child abuse or plagiarism. He’s just a bit dumb.” Sakamoto hit his arm as he spoke, and the audience laughed a little. 

“Throwing the question back, interesting. Very well; Here’s my opinion.” I then said. “Their morals seem to be in line- as their targets have been people with very serious crimes on their shoulders… However their modus operandi- mode of operation- is grey. I cannot possibly rule the thieves out until that such is solved.” I adjusted my coat. “Anyhow, thank your honest opinion.” I gave him a charasmatic smile.

 

After a moment of silence, the host finally spoke up. “Aren’t you working with the police on this investigation? You must have some idea on their MO?” He was eager to listen. Well, I was. Not anymore- since I’ve quit to go back to school.

“Unfortunately, no. I was just recently removed from the case.” I said simply. The crowd rose into a slight confusion as I said that. 

The host, surprised, tilted his head a bit. “Why is that? Has a larger case come up?” He pushed.

I shook my head. “No. I’m no longer on active duty as a detective.” I looked down at my gloves for a moment. “All of these questions were wasted, I’m afraid. As it stands, I’m a normal highschool student right now.” I tried to keep a calm, optimistic expression as the crowd got more restless.

“Why have you gone inactive? Are there health problems involved? Something more serious?” The host the annoyingly added.  _ They were all trained to ask these dumb questions _ .

“No, nothing of the sort. I’m quite healthy after all. I’m simply finding it difficult to balance a full-time job and school, among other things. I’m going to go back to school full-time and graduate. Afterwards- I can return to my career and look into college. I still see myself collaborating with the police, even after my inactive status has been registered. It just won’t be nearly as frequent.” I could feel the anxiety rise again when I said more- but I knew so long as I was onstage, I could stay calm.

 

“You mean to say you’re returning to Kosei High school on regular courses to complete your second and third year? Then you’ll be returning to detective work full-time?” The host then asked.

“No, actually. I’m going to be transferring from Kosei. I think a change of pace and environment will help me better succeed.” I remained calm, breathing in deeply to keep the terribly straining feelings at bay. “Nonetheless, my return was inevitable. I cannot get anything done without graduating first. All was in due time, of course.” 

 

The interview continued with a number of questions about my status- but I never revealed that Shujin was my transfer school. The crowd would have gone nuts if I said anything about it at all. The hosts eventually had to wrap it up- after milking everything they could out of me. The set was wrapping up- and they called the recording. 

The crew members immediately went to start fixing the set- prepping it for the next segment, and I watched them file the students into a larger area behind the recording equipment. I watched Kurusu meander back into area, leaning against a wall. The Sakotomo kid ran off soon after- probably looking for the girl who wasn’t present after the break.

I made my way over to Kurusu once the set cleared off a bit, an exhausted look on my face as I approached him. 

 

“Way to go, Akechi-San. You really riled those kids up.” He said jokingly. “Thanks for keeping me entertained though. It was interesting to watch you try and deal with those hosts through the whole show. They kept interrupting you and complimenting your very existence. It’s funny.” He smiled.

“Thank you for answering so honestly to my questions. I was hoping she’d go and pick on you- since you’re the one who started the staring contest.”

Kurusu laughed a little, shrugging. “Can’t help it when the  **_great dreamy detective Goro Akechi, with his radiant charisma_ ** is right there.” He imitated the girls who had been fawning over me the whole show. I laughed again- covering my mouth out of habit.

 

“Hey Aki let’s split.” The guy’s voice called from behind me.  _ Aki? That boy- Sakamoto- was using pet names? How odd. _ I turned to face the two who stood behind me, the girl frowned when our faces met. Takamaki, if I remembered correctly.

“Oh. Akechi-San. Interesting show today.” She said- her voice was a bit cold. 

“Aki?” I questioned.  “Is he bullying you?” I said under a whisper to Kurusu. He laughed again. 

“He gives everyone nicknames. Maybe if you hang out at Leblanc more, he’ll give you one too.” He said. “Though I guess now that you’re ‘just a simple high school student’ you might not come to get coffee as often, right?” His eyes reflected a slight bit of sadness, and I shook my head.

“On the contrary, My new school is far closer than the police buildings ever were. I might come more now- seeing as my schedule will be a lot more predictable now.” I turned on my heel a bit- his two friends looking more impatient as I spoke. “Nonetheless, I must get going. I have some last minute things to take care of.” I waved. “Take care, Kurusu-San.” 

 

I returned to my apartment quite quickly- not wasting any time in the public eye. The broadcast was already out- and when I had finally settled into the living room, sinking into the stuffy couch I didn’t even own, I finally looked at my phone.

News had already spread through most social media, and my twitter was blown up with tweets from all different types of fans and the like. My thumbs hovered over the post button- but perhaps not talking about it would be easier in the long run. I gave a good explanation on the television; so there was no reason to deal with the public anymore. I noticed as I was scrolling through my phone that I had received a message from a unknown number.

 

[Uniform is in postbox. M.S. will not accept failure.]

 

I knew I could do it- but a part of me wondered what would happen if I couldn’t find the Thieves… How long would Shido wait for me? My concern was purely pessimistic, of course, but  _ still _ . Would I be trapped at that school until I graduated? Dealing with teenagers everyday while trying to pick out one from another? 

My ideas made me sulk just in the slightest, and I walked down to the postbox on the first floor. Lo and behold- a large box was waiting for me, my name scrawled on the top. I carried it into my apartment- through into my room, and opened it up. There were a number of uniforms in the box for winter and summer… A few different things here and there. It was a bit more simple in theoretical design than the Kosei uniforms- but the pants were terribly noisy in my opinion.

 

When I put the uniforms away, I sat on the edge of the bed for a very long time. The only light that flooded into the room came from the bathroom- whose door was half-cracked. My breath was shallow and unnerved- Loki had gone quiet- but my anxiety would go away just like that. I wouldn’t accept failure- nothing would stop me.

 

**_All I need to do is figure it out. I’m a highschool detective. This’ll be a breeze._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used Aki as the pet name from Ryuji since he's not Ren in this fic.  
> Ren-Ren is super cute but alas, I'm not a huge fan of Ren Amamiya vs Akira Kurusu  
> It really do be like that sometimes.


	3. Shujin Academy's Most Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi goes to school, where he has to sit next to a very surprised Akira.   
> Their lunch is very pleasant, then Loki has to be an asshole.  
> Of course, what else would Loki be doing, rather than patronising Akechi's every move- despite his every action having a reason.
> 
> All he knows now is that he needs to finish the job before he's stuck at Shujin for the rest of his high school years.

Friday. Saturday. Sunday… Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Just three days. That’s all I had left in my schedule before my hunt would begin. Thursday was a breeze, in the most relative sense of the term. I woke up in the middle of the afternoon and sat around my apartment till around 9, then went back to bed. I watched a bit of TV, but most of the channels I had were news related; and my resignation was topping the local news, so it was just salt in the wounds. 

Friday, I ended up biking around the city for a bit, stopped at some random cafe for a break before realising their coffee was shit- then proceeded home; where I took a shower and made dinner before resting again.

Saturday, my insatisfaction with the coffee proved far too much, so I ended up visiting Leblanc for a real brew. Thankfully, Kurusu was there when I happened to walk in. We exchanged a nice conversation and joked a bit. He seemed to be more relaxed as we spoke, which was a slight surprise- given my current situation. After coffee and a refreshing chat with Kurusu and Sakura, I went back to my apartment, where I took a nap- then had dinner, then slept.

Sunday was the most stressful, by far. So much so- I found myself cleaning to pass the time. I didn’t want to go to school, but then again, it was better to get it over with as soon as possible. My anxiety continued to grow everytime I thought about finding the Thieves, worried over the possibility of not finding them- of ruining my plans for Masayoshi Shido… Stressed over the concept of murdering a group of teenagers- practically children. I took a shower that night, mostly just thinking about all the wrong conclusions to the situation.

When I went to bed that night, I left the uniform hanging on the foot of my bed- waiting for me to wear it in public. The idea was unnerving when I pulled the uniform from the box for the first time, but I would have to either way.

 

I woke up Monday morning to the sound of my alarm. My body wasn’t used to waking up so early- I could feel my joints crack a little as I stood up and stretched. I brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, did everything you should do before leaving- then I found myself putting the Shujin Academy uniform on. It fit quite well, which was nice- I suppose. It was more comfortable than the Kosei one, which was starchy and overall not nearly as lightweight. There were a few positives, it seemed. Maybe I’d consider staying at Shujin under a more complicated schedule after returning to Detective work- simply because of the uniforms. School wasn’t exactly an option, either way. I’d just prefer my old schedule.

I left the apartment soon afterwards- not bothering to eat breakfast. I checked my postbox before leaving, finding a letter from the school inside. It had my schedule and homeroom, as well as a few other mass-post information tidbits. My homeroom was 2-D, and my teacher’s name was Sadayo Kawakami. I’m sure I’d have to check in with her before class, or something of the sort.

 

I arrived at the school earlier than expected. Not a lot of people were around, and they weren’t really paying attention to anything as they made their way in. Not a single person seemed to notice me, but then again, most of them were too obsessed with their phones to say anything…

I reached the teacher’s room in no time at all, knocking on the door politely before hearing a faint ‘come in’ from the other side. I poked my head through, and saw a few staff mumbling about. I had to assume that Miss Kawakami was the one in the yellow who was hunched over her work, because she looked up with a bored expression as I came in.

“You’re Goro Akechi? I’m Kawakami, Your homeroom teacher.” She said blandly. “Any questions before class starts? I’m sure a tour isn’t necessary, you’re a detective after all. You can figure it out.” She sounded tired as she spoke. 

“No, I’m good. Thank you.” I said in a soft, charismatic tone. “Are you alright though, Kawakami-Sensei?” 

She nodded off, trying to make it look like she was more awake than she probably was. “I’m fine. This is the second time they’ve dumped a transfer student on me before though… How annoying. The first one didn’t even show up on time, so I guess you’re doing better than he did.” She sighed. “Anyways. If you want to just stay in here till class starts, you can sit over there in the waiting area. I’ll introduce you to the class, you can say a few words, etcetera. You get the idea.” She handed me another paper. “This has everything we’ve done so far in the year. If you don’t know it, catch up. If you do- then good for you I guess.”

 

I couldn’t think of anything to say other than “Thank you.” So I walked off, sitting in one of the starchy chairs. I tried not to think about everything that was stressing me out- I needed to stay composed. 

 

The first bell rang soon after, and Kawakami sighed.  _ Time to get this over with. _ I thought, hoping my class was low-key about the situation… Though I feel like that was too much to ask for.

 

The students were already in the classroom when Kawakami walked in. I kept my head down as I trailed behind her, not looking around as we entered the room. The class was too busy talking to notice I followed in with her. She cleared the throat loudly, and clasped her hands together.

“Settle down, everyone.” She commanded. The room fell deadly silent as all attention was brought up to the front, and subsequently myself. “We have a new transfer student. Please introduce yourself.” She then said.

I swallowed my pride before lifting my head, giving a semi-weak, but charismatic smile. My eyes were almost immediately drawn to a crude picture on the back black board- of myself.

“H-Hello.” I said, a little taken aback by the room itself.  _ What a dump. This fucking sucks. _ I held my smile. “My name is Akechi Goro,” I forced a light chuckle. “but it seems you all already knew that.” Every pair of eyes in the room were wide as I stood there, a flurry of low whispers shot through the room.

“Settle down!” Kawakami commanded a second time- but every girl in the room continued to speak. They squealed to themselves as I looked around.

“Where should I sit, Sensei?” I murmured quietly. The presence of the noise made it difficult to clearly think, but I was fine in the public setting. As I asked, Kawakami scanned the room.

“Next to Kurusu-Kun, If you would.” She said, still frowning to the group of loud girls. 

 

_ K-Kurusu?! _ I thought, whipping my head around to search the room again.  _ No way I’m… The odds of that are simply-- _ I caught eyes with him from the second to last by the window, he was pointing to the seat next to him with a confused, but entertained look on his face. I shuffled toward the desk awkwardly, ignoring the number of whispers and stares I received from peers.  _ None of that matters.  _ I pressed.

I sat down and Kawakami began talking, I found myself zoning out quite quickly. Before I knew it- Kurusu had passed me a note.

 

[Were you just not going to tell me? Or were you planning the surprise?] It read in slightly crude handwriting. I looked over at him with a confused face, but he pretended to be paying attention to the teacher’s lessons. I wrote a response on the back.

[It was very last minute. I would have told you if I knew any sooner I was going to be your classmate.] My handwriting was a bit more elegant that his, but he had more personality, or something along those lines. I handed it back to him when Kawakami was facing the board.

 

He didn’t pass anymore notes back, simply glancing over at me every now and again during the lesson. When the lunch bell rang, almost the entire class flocked to my desk. Fawning, squealing, and trying to impress me with their introductions.

 

“My sincerest apologies-” I started, raising a hand to try and create distance between myself and the growing crowd. “I’m simply your classmate. This amount of commotion is-” My voice was drowned out by the fans around me- talking without thought behind their words. I felt a tug at the back of my sleeve and saw Kurusu through the faces.

“Akechi-San!” An especially loud girl suddenly said. “W-Would you consider having lunch with me?” She then continued. She was brave- if not stupid.

I offered a sweet smile, trying to calm the crowd down. I could feel my anxiety twinge up a little. “That’s a very kind offer.” I started. “But, I’m going to be having lunch with Kurusu-San today. I hope you understand.” 

 

At the mention of Kurusu, her face scrunched up in an ugly way. “That loser?” She said coldly, pointing accusingly towards the side of the room that Kurusu was situated by. I could only assume she was accurate. “What a waste of time. That kid’s a criminal delinquent.” She crossed her arms.

It seemed that at the sheer mention of Kurusu’s name, the crowd lost interest.  _ Criminal Delinquent? _ I thought. He didn’t seem the type- but the entire class seemed to disagree. They broke up after a few moments- their excitement was lost at the idea of his name.  _ I would have never taken him for a kid with a record. He’s some harmless oaf, from what I know. _

I turned over to Kurusu, who had an almost hurt expression- but his face remained still. “Criminal Delinquent?” I asked with crossed arms. “Quite a title, Kurusu-San.” 

He shrugged slightly, sighing. “A title like that happens to spread, they probably won’t bother you as much if you dare mention my name.” He mustered a small, closed smirk, and his silver eyes looked down to the ground. “Anyways-” He said, shoving his hands into his pocket. “Did you want to do lunch? We can hang out on the roof if you want.”

“Sounds nice, less likely to run into people while eating.” I pondered. He nodded with a wide smile, picking up his bag. He dug out a box and started walking up the aisle.  
“Ann, do you want to join us?” Kurusu then asked. Catching the attention of a bored-looking familiar face. She looked up, slightly surprised. “We’re going up to the roof for lunch.” He then explained.

  
Takamaki looked over at me. “Oh. Right. He’s in our class. Isn’t that a coincidence.” She stated a little flat. “Sorry, I haven’t really been paying attention today.” She then said, laughing a small laugh. “Ryuji and I are going to be eating with Mishima-San and a couple others today, sorry. Do you want me to take Mona with me too?” She stood up and gave a small nod to Kurusu as she asked, almost completely ignoring my existence.

After they exchanged a couple more words, Kurusu gestured for me to follow him. As we exited the classroom, I almost immediately noticed eyes on me. They didn’t dare approach- maybe because of Kurusu- but all seemed to gape as we walked by. My eyes had the tendency to scan wildy in situations like this- but meeting the eyes of every student in the hallway was daunting, and I found myself looking down to the ground. I felt my anxiety rise, and I swallowed nervously.   
  


_ ‘It’s going to be over soon.’  _ I thought.  _ ‘Maybe Kurusu knows a bit about the thieves, he seemed to be a fan during the variety show…’ _ We ascended the stairs unto the third floor, where we passed by the student council room. Kurusu seemed to tense up a bit as we passed by- perhaps he did do something wrong,  _ how unexpected _ . We climbed up to the roof and he opened the door, my face met with fresh air.

The view was nice, looking down on the suburbs that surrounded the school. There were desks and chairs littered about- the tall gates around the sides of the roof were decorated with plants and old posters and the like. It was quiet. 

 

“When you said you were transferring to another school, everyone was almost completely convinced you were going to go to Seven Sisters.” Kurusu said flatly. “They’re super prestigious or something.” He sat down on one of the desks and opened his lunch. I could tell it was Leblanc curry immediately.

I shook my head. “I didn’t want to go too far from the police station. After all, I plan to still help out in any ways I can.” I said, situating myself in a chair just across from him. I crossed my legs and watched as Kurusu sighed.

“You caused quite a stir too, everyday girls were gossiping and carrying on. I couldn’t go an hour without hearing your name.” He took a bite of his curry and paused, swallowing, then continued. “Why’d you pick Shujin of all places, rather than it being close to the police station?” 

 

I looked away for a moment.  _ What would be the most believable lie? _ I thought.  _ He’s a complete dumbass, so it wouldn’t take much, right? _

 

“I thought it would be the easiest transition, compared to other schools in the area.” I started. “-plus it’s quite a bit closer to Leblanc, which is a positive point in my book.” Kurusu produced a small smile, chuckling quietly. 

“You like that old man’s curry enough to pick this school? That’s a lot of commitment to the spice.” He joked, looking down at his lunch as he spoke. “Though I’m actually quite interested to see how you do here- these kids are vicious, I’ll have you know.” 

He talked from experience, it seemed. They were talking about him quite blatantly- calling him a ‘loser’ and a ‘waste of time.’ What on Earth could he have done to gain a title like that..?

“Were they telling the truth?” I blurted out. “-I mean, do you really have a criminal record? That doesn’t seem like your style, Kurusu-San.” I tilted my head, resting it in my gloved hand.

“I do, unfortunately. Though I’m not sure you’d be interested in hearing a story like that.” His voice went quiet, and his usually spacey demeanour was replaced with a sort of solemn look. 

I bit my lip and watch his eyes fall to his food again, the kids talked about him a lot- it seemed. It was showing on his face.  _ What a cry baby. _ I thought. “You can spare me the details, but I am curious about what happened, generally speaking.” ‘ _ He was probably caught stealing something, that’s usually what idiot kids get lumped with.’ _ I rationalised.

 

He shrugged then, face returning to a more ‘normal’ expression that I recognised. “I was charged with assault.” He stated.  _ Assault? What the hell could he have done to gain a record like that? _ I examined him as he spoke. He didn’t look like the fighting type. “A drunk guy was feeling up some woman in the street near my house when I was going home after a long day. I tried to get him to stop, since the woman clearly wasn’t interested.” 

He adjusted his glasses.  _ That makes more sense. A spacey kid like him would totally do something stupid like that. _ “So you intervened and hurt the man in order to save the woman?” I finished.

“No, not exactly. I told the dude to stop and he was so drunk off his ass he fell and hurt himself. He threatened the woman to testify against me- and when the police showed up, I was arrested for assaulting him.” He crossed his arms, keeping himself very collected.

 

_ How terribly unfair- even for an idiot who should keep to his own business.  _ I frowned, shaking my head. “How unfortunate.” I replied. “I’m sure that it’s been difficult. I know how daunting people’s whispers can be sometimes.” He nodded.

 

We sat in a sort of understanding silence for the rest of lunch. I didn’t know what to say in situations like this. His calm, level-headed exterior was masking an upset expression. I could see it in his eyes from behind his moppy black hair and thick-framed glasses. I knew exactly what it was in his grey view. When people whispered at him or called him a loser or outright told him he was a waste of time. It didn’t matter how cool he was- that was rough.

I hated the position I was in- the people behind it all- everything around me, but Kurusu wasn’t exactly  _ hurting _ the situation either. If anything, the understanding silence was a nice few moments of relaxing quiet. It was a change of pace.

  
  
  


“I appreciate you having lunch with me, Akechi-San.” Kurusu mentioned as the bell rung. “I’m usually sitting in the classroom texting or having lunch with Ryuji, so I had a lot of fun just relaxing for a little bit.” He smiled. It was _that smile._ The one that he had with his other friends before. I nodded quickly.   
“My pleasure, Kurusu-San. It got me away from our peers for a little while longer.” He laughed, and we descended the stairs. 

 

**_Isn’t that cute, Goro. He thinks you’re actually his friend!_ ** I heard Loki patronise from the back of my mind.  **_Wouldn’t it just be wonderful if he tried inviting you hang out with his friends? How wonderfully annoying it would be to have that fucking moron breathing down your neck every moment of your life ‘till you finally find the thieves!_ **

As we sat down at our desks and Chouno started speaking. I swallowed the lump in my throat.  _ I can gain information from him. He’s clearly a fan of the thieves. I’m sure he’ll have some sort of lead. _ I tried rationalising.  **_That poor idiot believes you care about him! You can’t begin to tell me you’re going to willingly deal with him for upwards of weeks!?_ ** Loki was rather irritated.  _ I had to deal with him in the past at Leblanc, why are you only now doing this?  _ I looked over at him quickly, he was texting someone. 

**_Because now you’re classmates. This bastard is going to get attached to you. You’re ready to break his heart? I mean- didn’t you see how happy he was when you agreed to eat with him? You’ll most definitely hurt him in the end. You always do hurt the idiots around you, don’t you remember?_ ** I took a deep breath, looking down at my school work.  _ Not now, Loki. _ I commanded. The spirit only laughed- continuing to patronise me as I sat there.

 

I needed to finish this investigation soon. Very soon. The faster the better.

  
  


When the bell rang, I was once again bombarded by fans from all side. None of them were the ones from lunch- they all were still disinterested, maybe Kurusu would have multiple uses.

“Akechi!” One girl clamoured. “-Ah! Akechi-San!” They all tried to push to the front, surrounding my desk. My unease grew and I frowned. 

 

_ Will it be like this everyday? How fucking troublesome. _

 

“I apologise, I really must be going-” I stammered. “I have a lot of work at home I need to finish up and-” The girls all squealed at the mention of work.

“Is it detective work, Akechi?” One asked. “May I shake your hand before you go?” “Can you sign my notebook?” “Wait! Akechi-San!” They all drowned out my protests- sticking their hands out and smiling.

I slipped out of the confusion when Kawakami started yelling at the hoard, my eyes meeting with almost every student in the halls as I swiftly made for the exit. I didn’t stop for anyone- even when I heard that annoying Sakamoto’s voice and Kurusu’s. I had to leave.

  
  


**_Let’s see… Your first day of school was so productive!_ ** Loki cooed when I finally shut the door to my apartment, not even wanting to remember the shameful bus ride home in the Shujin uniform.  **_You got absolutely nothing done, hung out with a dumbass kid, and don’t even have any leads for the Phantom Thieves! You really are useless, Akechi. Good thing I’m here to remind you of that- ‘cause for a second you seemed to enjoy that lunch, didn’t you?_ ** _ I’m simply trying to get on Kurusu’s good side, don’t you think it would be odd if I suddenly started interrogating him for information on the Thieve’s on my first day after transferring?  _ **_Right, You can call it that, can’t you? You really are hopeless. Such a child. Gods, why do I even try with you?_ **

 

Loki didn’t stop that night. It seemed to be more agitated as the situation continued to progress. With every step I took- I could feel it’s claw’s ripping at my mind- making it just that more difficult to do anything.

That night, before I fell asleep, I received a text.

  
  
  


**[M.S. expects an update this weekend. Results must be found soon, he does not expect anything less.]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I write Loki, I feel like I'm projecting a bit of my own anxiety into it, which is really odd and also lowkey a big oof.  
> Anyways, This is my least favourite chapter by far from the ones I've planned (which is roughly 9 or 10 so far? but that only goes to Futaba's palace LMAO)
> 
> Next chapter: In which Akechi goes to lunch with Akira, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and the weird-ass bag cat he swore said something. The introduction of the class president, and when Akechi realises that Akira's friends all have something in common...


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